Tobacco curing apparatus



Feb. 17, 1942.

G. G. PLOTT ETAL TOBACCO GURING APPARATUS Filed March 30, 1939 s sheets-snaai 1 mvENToga ATTORNEYS Feb. 17, 1942. G. G. PLOTT ErAL 2,273,284

TOBACCO GURING APPARATUS Filed March 50, 1939 3 Sllee's-Shee'l 2 ATTORNEYS Feb 17, 1942 G. G. PLoTT ETAL TOBACCO CURING APPARATUS Filed March 30, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 (far/7a? ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 17, 1942 TOBACCO CURING APPARATUS Garnett G. Plott and Perry A. Weeks, Whitakers, N. C.

Application March 30, 1939, Serial No. 265,050

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to tobacco curing buildings or barns and more particularly to a means of heating and conditioning the air therein.

The primaryfobject of the invention resides in the provision of a means for providing a continuous circulation of air within the barn or building and maintaining the same at a desired temperature to bring about the best curing results and reduce tobacco sweating and the damages to tobacco incident thereto.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a multiplicity of heating units arranged in spaced relation within a tobacco curing barn with means being provided in the roof of the barn for confining the upwardly flowing heated air and for adjusting the flow thereof and subsequently returning the expelled air to the individual heaters for reentry into the barn whereby a continuous circulation is effected for bringing about the proper curing of tobacco.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a heater having air conducting conduits associated therewith arranged in a manner to obtain full benet of the products of combustion from said heater and to discharge the heated air into a barn or similar building for the curing of tobacco contained therein.

The invention will be fully and comprehensively understood from a consideration of the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of the application.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View, partly in section, of a tobacco curing barn embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken substantially on line 2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken substantially on line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on line li-Ei of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the heating unit employed in the barn for curing the tobacco. f

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 'I 'I of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line 8 8 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a top plan View of the heater illustrated in Figure 6.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional View of a. modified form of the invention, and

Figure 11 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on line I I I I of Figure '7.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description thereof, a tobacco curing barn of suitable dimensions is indicated generally throughout the several views by the numeral I2, the same being illustrated as substantially squareshaped and formed with a peaked roof I3. The side walls of the barn may be provided with a conventional window I4 and door I5 and the tobacco to be cured is supported within the barn in the conventional manner.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that there is provided a multiplicity of heating units I6 supported in spaced relation on the floor I1 of the barn. The heating units I6 each comprise a number of burners I8 operated by any desired liquid fuel obtained from a source of supply, not shown, through the pipe I9. The burners I8 are encased Within a jacket 20, said jacket being provided with supporting leg members 2I. It is to be understood that each of the units I6 is identical in construction and comprises the parts and relation thereof as hereinafter described. Supported in spaced relation above the burners I8 is a U-shaped section of pipe 22 which serves as a conduit for air to be heated and to` be discharged into the barn for curing the tobacco. One end 23 of the U-shaped section of pipe 22 supports an elbow connection 2d having a removable slip joint connection 24 and through which the heated air is discharged into a `perforated pipe 25, the heated air is provided with a downwardly extending arm 25' expelled through the perforations 26 int-o the barn. The perforated pipe 25 is covered by means of a hood 21, said hood being pivotally connected at 28 to the jacket 2l) for permitting access to the heating unit. It is understood that, when the hood 21 is to be swung upwardly, the eibow 24 is removed. The hood 2'I is also formed with a multiplicity of perforations 20 which align with the perforations 26 in the pipe 25 for permitting expulsion of the heated air. A trough-like receptacle 30 is attached within the hood 2l and is adapted to contain a quantity of water SI for humidifying the atmosphere of the barn, water being supplied to the trough 3G through the medium of an opening 32 formed in the peak of the hood 2'I. The raised position of the hood is illustrated in dot and dash lines in Figure 6 of the drawings wherein it will be noted that the unattached end of said hood rests upon the top edge of the jacket through the medium of depending leg members 33.

The other end 34 of the U-shaped pipe section 22 is connected with an air supply source to be hereinafter described.

Air heated by the heating units I6 passes upwardly through the tobacco and is discharged into a confined area formed in the peaked roof I3 and generally designated by the reference numeral 35. Substantially the central portion of the roof I3 is open for permitting circulation of the heated air and said opening is closed by a casing 36 attached by any desired means to the roof I3 and extending above the same. The portion 3l of the casing adjacent the roof I3 is substantially square-shaped and the interior 38 thereof provides a chamber, as will be hereinafter described, for returning the discharged air to the heating units. The upper end of the casing is subs-tantially cylindrical-shaped and is closed by a cap-like member 39 from which extends a conduit 40 having connection with a blower 4I, said blower being of conventional construction and adapted to discharge air received from the conduit 4U into the chamber 38 through the outlet connection 42.

Supported within the casing 36 are a plurality of substantially cylindrical-shaped dampers 43 and 44, said dampers being suspended from a transverse shaft 45 extending through said casing on which are mounted a pair of pulleys 46 and 4'I. A flexible cable 48 and 49 is trained over the pulleys 46 and 4'I, respectively, one end of said cables being attached to bracket members 58 and 5I, respectively, for supporting the dampers 43 and 44, respectively. As shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the other end of the cables extend within the barn and are readily accessible for raising and lowering said dampers. Supported in spaced relation within the damper 43 is a conduit 52, said conduit being suspended by means of the brackets 53, the upper end of said conduit being disposed above the damper 43. The lower end of the conduit 52 is formed with a diverging section forming a baffle plate 54 for directing the air currents therein. When the dampers 43 and 44 are in the position shown in Figures 2 and 5 of the drawings, it will be noted that air can only be directed upwardly through the central portion of the casing 39, said dampers preventing the entrance of air within the conduit 52 or between said conduit and the wall of the casing 36. A central-most conduit 55 is suspended by means of the brackets 55 within the conduit 52 and the upper end of said conduit terminates within the conduit 52 and the lower end thereof is also formed with a diverging section 51 which provides a baille plate for directing the currents of air up through the casing 38. The lower end of the conduit 55 is provided with a pivotally supported damper 58, one end of said damper being weighted as indicated at 59 for maintaining the same in open position. A Ilexible cable GEI is attached to the other side of the damper as indicated at 5I for closing the same, said cable also extending within the barn so as to be readily accessible.

As is to be understood the purpose of the dampers 43, 44 and 58 is to control the circulation of heated air within the barn. The damper 58 is normally maintained in the position shown so that discharge of air through the conduit 55 is at al1 times possible when curing tobacco. However, should it be desired to increase circulation of air one cr both of the dampers 43 and 44 are raised through the medium of the flexible cables 48 and 49 so as to permit air to flow upwardly within the conduit 52 and between said conduit and the casing 36.

The air evacuated from the barn and flowing upwardly through the casing 36 passes through the `conduit 40 and into the blower 4I from where it is discharged into the chamber 38 of the housing 3l through the medium of the inlet 52. The air is then returned to the individual heating units through the medium of a series of pipes generally designated by the numeral 63, said pipes being connected through suitable outlets 64 with the chamber 38 and the other end of said pipes being connected by any desired means to the end 34 of the U-shaped section of pipe 22 of each heating unit. It will thus be seen that a constant circulation of air within the barn is maintained which air is continuously passing through the heating units and discharged into the barn whereby the tobacco is cured with a substantially constant heat.

As is to be understood a means is to be provided for supplying fresh air to the burners and additional means for Ventilating a portion of the products of combustion from the barn. In order to supply fresh air to the burners, the floor on which they are supported is provided with covered openings 69 and the casing 3l is formed with openings 'I5 to permit a portion of the products of combustion to be evacuated. The side walls of the barn may also be provided with covered openings 'II whereby fresh air is admitted to the interior thereof. It is, of course, to be understood that various other means can be provided for accomplishing the above described purpose.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figure 10 of the drawings, the perforated pipe 65 is substituted for the U-shaped section of pipe 22, said pipe being supported by means 56 above a suitable heating unit, not shown. As is to be understood a multiplicity of heating units and perforated pipes 65 will be disposed throughout the area of the barn as in the preferred form, and the returned air is fed to said perforated pipe through a conduit 6l leading from the chamber and blower as in the preferred form. The pipe 65 will be maintained in a heated condition by means of the heating units and the air discharged through the `perforations E8 will likewise be in a substantially heated condition.

Also it will be understood, of course, by those skilled in the art that variations in the herein above described device involving the substitution of substantial equivalents for the devices described are intended to be comprehended within the spirit of the present invention and that the invention is capable of extended application and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawings nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not aect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tobacco curing barn including an enclosure provided with vertically disposed side and end walls and a roof, the combination of a plurality of heaters supported in spaced relation on the floor of said barn, means in the floor for supplying fresh air to said burners, means for Ventilating a portion of the products of combustion from the barn, each of said heaters comprising a jacket having burners mounted therein, a U-shaped section of pipe disposed above said burners adapted to convey air to be heated thereby, means for discharging heated air from said U-shaped section of pipe adjacent said burners, means comprising coaxially arranged conduits in the roof of said barn for directing the discharge of upwardly flowing air from said heaters, and means associated with said directing means for returning said discharged air to said U-shaped section of pipe.

2. In a tobacco curing barn including an enclosure provided with vertically disposed side and end Walls and a roof, the combination of a plurality of heaters supported in spaced relation on the floor of said barn, means in the ioor for supplying fresh air to said burners, means for ventilating a portion of the products of combustion from the barn, each of said heaters compris-ing a jacket having burners mounted therein, a U- shaped section of pipe disposed above said burners adapted to convey air to be heated thereby, a perforated pipe connected to one leg of said U-shaped section of pipe and disposed above the same through which the heated air is discharged, a cover for said perforated pipe, said cover being perforated for permitting the upward discharge of air from s-aid pipe, means in the roof of said barn for directing the discharge of upwardly flowing air from said heaters, and means associated with said directing means for returning said discharged air to said U-shaped section of pipe.

3. In a tobacco curing barn including an enclosure provided with vertically disposed side and end walls and a roof, the combination of a plu-l rality of heaters supported in s-paced relation on the oor of said barn, means in the floor for supplying fresh air to said burners, means for ventilating a portion of the products of combustion from the barn,` means in the roof of said barn for directing the discharge of upwardly owing air from said heaters, said means comprising a housing extending through said roof, a pair of coaxially arranged conduits supported in spaced relation within said housing, a pair of cylindrical-shaped vertically movable dampers for directing the air through said conduits, and means `associated with said housing for returning the discharged air from said conduits to said heaters.

4. In a tobacco curing barn including an enclosure provided with vertically disposed side and end walls and a roof, the combination of a plurality of heaters supported in spaced relation on the floor of said barn, means in the oor for supplying fresh air to said burners, means for ventilating a portion of the products of combustion from the barn, each of said heaters comprising a jacket having burners mounted therein, a U- shaped section of pipe disposed above said burners adapted to convey air to be heated thereby, means for discharging heated air from said U- shaped section of pipe adjacent said burners, means in the roof of said barn for directing the discharge of upwardly flowing air from said heaters, said means comprising a housing extending through said roof, a portion of said housing adjacent the roof being substantially square-shaped and dening a chamber, the upper end of said housing having a cap-like member attached thereto, a blower and conduit extending from said cap-like member and adapted to discharge air into said chamber, and means extending from said chamber for returning the discharged air to said U-shaped section of pipe.

5. In a tobacco curing barn including an enclosure provided with vertically disposed side and end walls and a roof, the combination of a plurality of heaters supported in spaced relation on the iioor of said barn, means in the iioor for supplying fresh air to said burners, means for ventilating a portion `of the products of combustion from the barn, each of said heaters comprising a jacket having burners mounted therein, a U- shaped section of pipe disposed above s-aid burners adapted to convey air to be heated thereby, means for discharging heated air from said U- shaped section of pipe adjacent said burners, means in the roof of said barn for directing the discharge of upwardly flowing air from said heaters, said means comprising a housing extending through said roof, a portion of said housing adjacent the roof being substantially square-shaped and dening a chamber, the upper end of said housing having a cap-like member attached thereto, a blower and conduit extending from said cap-like member and adapted to discharge. air into said chamber, .a pair of coaxially arranged conduits supported in spaced relation within said housing, the lower end of each conduit diverging outwardly to form parallel baflle plates within the barn, a pair of cylindricalshaped vertically lmovable dampers supported between said conduits and adapted to contact said baffle plates for controlling the upward flow of air within said housing, and means extending from said chamber for returning the discharged air to said U-shaped section of pipe.

GARNETT G. PLOTT.

PERRY A. WEEKS. 

